The opposition Republican Party will not participate in the upcoming MP by-elections, party leader Davit Usupashvili said on August 5, citing obstacles created by the authorities and the Central Election Commission (CEC).
At a news conference, Usupashvili explained that last year the Republican Party underwent registration in the CEC ? a routine legal procedure necessary to participate in elections. The new CEC, which was set up in June, recently decided that the Republican Party’s registration by the previous CEC was invalid and canceled it.
?After that we re-submitted our registration request on Monday [August 1], but the CEC rejected it, citing that it contained formal legal mistakes,? said Usupashvili, who himself is a legal expert.
He said that the CEC and the authorities are creating all possible obstacles to prevent the Republican Party from participating in the October 1 MP by-elections scheduled for majoritarian seats [single-mandate constituencies] in the Adjaran towns of Kobuleti, Batumi and Shuakhevi, the west Georgian town of Tkibuli and Tbilisi?s Isani district.
?It is clear that the authorities are trying to bar the Republican Party from the elections? But we will continue fight – we are starting preparations for the local self-governance elections [scheduled for autumn, 2006]. These elections are the Republican Party?s major political target at the moment. Tina Khidasheli will chair the election headquarters,? Davit Usupashvili said.
The Republican Party pinned its hopes in the by-elections mainly in Adjara Autonomous Republic, where the party enjoys relatively higher popularity as compared with other parts of Georgia.
Republican activist Giorgi Masalkin planned to run for the MP seat in Batumi’s single-mandate constituency. But a recent decision of the Adjaran Supreme Council [the local legislative body] has also created problems for the party.
The autonomous republic?s legislative body approved proposal according to which a member of Adjara?s Parliament has no right to run in the MP by-elections.
?This initiative from the ruling [National Movement] party is directed particularly against Giorgi Masalkin [a Republican Party activist] who is a member of the Adjarian Parliament,? Davit Usupashvili said.
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